The small watering pitcher held by the female figure identifies her as a
personification of the dew; the butterfly-winged boy is Zephyr, the gentle
west wind. The sculpture may have been designed for the gardens of the
royal pavilion of Louis XIV's chateau at Marly, but was apparently never
installed there. In 1762 it was at Louis XV's Chateau de la Muette. An
inventory described the work as having been begun by Massou, continued by
Flamen, and completed by Rebillé. The problems of attribution are
still being studied, complicated by the fact that Flamen's and Massou's sons
were also sculptors and that there were two contemporary artists named
Rebillé, neither very well known.

The sculptures made for Marly were noted for a new freedom in style. The
figure of Dew shares their easy movement and intimacy, but her elongated
proportions, light drapery, and supple grace suggest that she may have been
the work of the next generation of sculptors.